Sean Avery

Sean Christopher Avery is a Canadian actor, former professional ice hockey player, model, and creative industry professional. Born on April 10, 1980, he played as a left wing in the National Hockey League (NHL) for teams including the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, and Dallas Stars. During his hockey career, he was recognized for his agitating playing style, leading the league in penalty minutes twice during the 2003–04 and 2005–06 seasons. After retiring from hockey in 2012, Avery transitioned into various creative pursuits, including fashion, acting, podcasting, and advertising.

Avery was born in North York, Ontario, to teachers Al and Marlene Avery. He was raised in Pickering, Ontario, where he attended Dunbarton High School alongside his younger brother, Scott. Before entering the NHL, he played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League for the Owen Sound Platers and the Kingston Frontenacs.

In 1999, Avery signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings, turning professional in 2000 with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League (AHL). He made his NHL debut during the 2001–02 season with Detroit. Midway through the 2002–03 season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he briefly played for the Lahti Pelicans in the Finnish Elite League and the Motor City Mechanics in the United Hockey League, where he became the first player in Mechanics history to record two hat tricks in one season.

Avery was traded to the New York Rangers in 2007, helping the team reach the playoffs. His tactics during the 2008 playoffs against the New Jersey Devils prompted the NHL to issue an unsportsmanlike conduct rule interpretation, colloquially called "The Avery Rule." He signed a four-year contract with the Dallas Stars in 2008, but was suspended six games and placed on waivers after making controversial media comments regarding former girlfriends. He subsequently returned to the Rangers and spent time with their AHL affiliates, the Hartford Wolf Pack and Connecticut Whale, before announcing his retirement on Watch What Happens Live in March 2012. He briefly signed with the Orlando Solar Bears in 2022 but was released two days later without playing a game.

Following his retirement from professional hockey, Avery pursued a full-time career in the creative industry. In 2008, he interned at Vogue magazine and guest-edited Mensvogue.com. He later worked as a model and strategist at the New York City advertising agency Lipman and handled assignments for Revolate Holdings. His memoir, Ice Capades: A Memoir of Fast Living and Tough Hockey, was published by Blue Rider Press in 2017. He also hosted a weekly podcast, No Gruffs Given with Sean Avery, from December 2019 to 2022.

Avery's acting career includes playing Bob Dill in the 2005 film The Rocket, as well as appearances in several Christopher Nolan films, such as Tenet (2020), Oppenheimer (2023), and The Odyssey (2026). Outside of his entertainment career, Avery worked as a restaurateur and was involved in off-stage projects, including a planned 2014 off-Broadway appearance in Negative Is Positive. In 2022, he was convicted of attempted criminal mischief following a 2019 incident in New York City involving a blocked bike lane.